Irish lacrosse head to NCAA quarterfinals with Johns Hopkins waiting

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Irish lacrosse head to NCAA quarterfinals with Johns Hopkins waiting

Notre Dame will face Johns Hopkins at noon Saturday in the NCAA quarterfinals in Hempstead, New York. The matchup comes after the Irish opened tournament play with an 18-5 win over Jacksonville, a performance that showed both the depth and defensive control that have carried them this season.

Nine different Notre Dame players scored in the first-round win, resulting in the Irish finishing with a perfect 6-0 record at home this season. The Irish have now reached the quarterfinals in 14 of the last 16 NCAA tournaments, winning two of the last three national championships, taking home titles in 2023 and 2024.

That recent success has come against some of the best teams in the country. Since the start of the 2023 season, Notre Dame is 30-9 against ranked opponents. Seventeen of those wins have come by five goals or more. 

Junior defenseman Shawn Lyght has been one of the biggest pieces of that run. Lyght was recently named a finalist for national player of the year, becoming the first Notre Dame defensive player to earn that honor since 2016.

“Unfortunately, last year we lost in the quarterfinals, so we all have this game marked,” Lyght said. “We all want to get past this stage, play our best game, because we know we didn’t play 60 minutes last time. So just playing our game, coming out hot and then everything will take care of itself.”

For Notre Dame, the message heading into Saturday is simple. Lyght said the Irish are not trying to do anything spectacular. They are focused on each player doing his job on offense and defense and know if they do that – the winner will advance to championship weekend.